Life sentence for Melissa’s ice-cold killer

HE was old enough to be her father, strong enough to be her protector and evil enough to masquerade as both before casually killing her and calmly dumping her body, confident that no one would find her or care enough to keep looking.

Ronnie Dunbar preyed on Melissa Mahon, a “disturbed, fragile and vulnerable child” just 14 years old, disposed of her remains “in a manner not befitting an animal” and frustrated inquiries into her whereabouts.

The tattooed, shaven- skulled 44-year-old took the criticisms from Mr Justice Barry White in the Central Criminal Court as if the veteran judge was reading the alphabet.